At Sunrise
by Semblance of Sanity
Summary: Amanda and Sarek meet Easter morning. If that isn't symbolism, I don't know what is! Amanda/Sarek, eventual relationship. Angst, fluff :) Rated T for now!
1. Hugs are Illogical

**Hiya!**

**If you follow the progress of my _Grace_ story, I AM SO SORRY I JUST HAD TO WRITE THIS.**

**If you don't, then hi! I have always been intrigued by Amanda and Sarek. I mean, the first Human/Vulcan marriage ever! Like whaaaaat?!**

**So yeah, I hope ya'll like it :)**

**It'll start out pretty slow, and Amanda's not even in this chapter (well, she's mentioned...). But I have a totally hilarious way of introducing her in the next chapter so :D**

**Yeah, this is totally not completely canon so sorry.**

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><p>"Ambassador Sarek, welcome!"<p>

Sarek turned to the voice. An older man (rapidly graying hair, about 55 Standard years of age) strode toward him, raising a hand in greeting, a large smile on his face. Sarek inclined his head and raised his hand in the _ta'al_.

"I come to serve."

The man fumbled with his hands for a brief minute before returning the gesture sloppily, his fingers shaking with the effort. "Your service honors us," he smiled, dropping his hand. Sarek folded his hands into the opposing sleeves of his robe.

Sarek inclined his head. "I have not made your acquaintance."

The man's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry! I am Ambassador Jeremy Grayson." He stuck out his hand for the Terran handshake, but retracted it hastily before Sarek had the chance to properly weigh the handshake against a diplomatic incident. "I'm sorry, again. I forget Vulcans don't like touch. It's such an integral part of Earth culture, you know?"

The Ambassador started walking quickly, gesturing for Sarek to follow. "Indeed," Sarek allowed, wondering if most Humans were this enthusiastic. The late Ambassador Antonio Boccelli was certainly not. Although, that could be attributed to his superior age.

"We would typically do a handshake, or a pat on the back, or the shoulder, or - you know - hug," the Ambassador continued rambling nervously as they walked - rather quickly, for a Human.

Sarek raised both eyebrows. "You are accustomed to embracing diplomats?" He shifted 6 inches to the right of the Ambassador in preparation for such an assault.

"What? No, of course not!" The Ambassador turned his head towards Sarek as he continued walking - illogical, as he could not look for objects in his path while simultaneously gazing at Sarek - his eyes widening. He halted his course, and Sarek was forced to turn his neck uncomfortably over his shoulder. "Are - are you? We could if - if that's what you want..."

Sarek leveled his gaze, turning to the Ambassador fully. "I assure you that I do not require an embrace at this time." A look of relief crossed the Ambassador's face, and he gestured for them to continue walking.

A smiling woman in a Starfleet uniform approached the two, raising her hand in an effortless _ta'al_. The Ambassador chuckled fondly. "I've been practicing that for a week, and you saw my pitiful excuse for the salute. She got that on her second try." The woman reached them, turning her bright smile fully to Sarek.

"Ambassador Sarek," she greeted. He returned the _ta'al_ with a dip of his head.

"Ambassador, this is my wife, Dora," the Ambassador introduced.

"Lady Grayson," he greeted. She did not try to initiate physical contact, for which he was grateful. She laughed, quiet and twinkling.

"I'm no 'Lady,' honey; call me Dora," she smiled up at him, warm and open. He suppressed the urge to shift uncomfortably.

"I have no wish to insult you or your culture, but I will refrain from dismissing proper titles," he informed her stiffly. She tilted her head, and her smile slowly faded until it merely flickered in the corners of her mouth.

"Of course, dear. If you wish. I will, however, request that you use 'Dora,' rather than 'Grayson' in whichever titles you chose to give me," she smiled, faintly this time.

Sarek blinked at her, and the Ambassador gestured them forward, his left hand on his wife's waist, and his right skirting around Sarek awkwardly. They approached a hovercar, and the Ambassador talked rapidly to his wife about 'the office.'

"Are you hungry, Ambassador?" Sarek looked up. "Thirsty? Tired? Bored?" Ambassador Grayson questioned in his usual fast pace. Lady Dora laughed again, just as quietly, before striking her husband in the arm lightly.

Sarek raised an eyebrow at the exchange before turning back to Ambassador Grayson. "I do not require sustenance or rest at this time."

The Ambassador grinned triumphantly. "So you are bored then?"

Lady Dora struck her husband once more, instructing him to "shush" and to "leave the poor man alone!" Sarek tilted his head once more.

"What is 'bored?'" The Humans tilted their heads and frowned at him, before laughing.

"I didn't know Vulcans could joke!" Lady Dora exclaimed, beaming at him.

Sarek lowered his eyebrows marginally. "I assure you, Lady Dora, Vulcans do not joke. My inquiry was made in earnest."

The Humans smiled at each other. "Oh, here we are!" the Ambassador exclaimed, exiting the hovercar hastily (which Sarek attributed to his natural energy level). Sarek waited for Lady Dora to exit before he did, a form of a revered Human characteristic called 'chivalry,' which he had learned in his Terran culture assimilation courses, surprised that her husband did not do the same. By the time Sarek exited the hovercar, however, Ambassador Grayson was already carrying a pile of Sarek's luggage up a series of steps to a large housing unit.

" - really hope you do not mind staying with us," the Ambassador was saying. Lady Dora pulled more of Sarek's luggage from a rear compartment of the hovercar - mainly gifts for the First Ever Intergalactic Diplomatic Federation Conference - and smiled at both Sarek and the driver of the hovercar (a stiff man in a red Starfleet uniform standing at attention and not looking at Sarek).

"Come along, dear," she called, disappearing into the housing unit. Sarek hesitated for a brief millisecond before following them.

Inside, the Graysons seemed to have disappeared - though that would be illogical, and he could hear them talking animatedly in another room - and he stood waiting in what seemed to be the entrance hall. An open closet bursting with coats and jackets of all shapes and sizes was 2.6 Terran yards from him along the left wall. Shoes, it seemed, belonged against the right wall, if the large pile was any indication. It looked as if someone had attempted to organize them, but the owners of the shoes seemed to disregard organization.

Being a guest in the house, Sarek stood in the exact center of the rug placed just inside the door and waited for further instructions. The instructions came 1.9 Terran minutes later in the form of Lady's Dora's shouts.

"Ambassador, dear, don't just stand there all day! Come on in!" Sarek placed his sandals neatly 1.2 feet from the pile of shoes and stepped out of the hall. It opened into a wide, spacious living area, populated with an abundance of seating options, and Sarek wondered if the Graysons shared a living unit with another family, but dismissed the thought immediately. Ambassadors would be wealthy enough to afford their own.

Sarek pulled himself out of his musings and looked around further. Holographs covered every wall and every ledge, featuring a variety of people of all different ages. He identified both Lady Dora and Ambassador Grayson in 13 of the 32 holographs, collectively.

He heard light footsteps behind him, and Lady Dora appeared at his side. She pointed to the holograph in the center of the mantle of the (redundant) fireplace, a soft smile brushing over her lips. "This one's my favorite."

In the holograph, the Ambassador and his wife were in a kitchen with four children, all of whom shared similar physical characteristics as the Graysons. Sarek concluded that they were the Ambassador's children. None of them were looking at the camera, something that he had thought Terran custom.

The sole (presumably) male child had his arms around the sole yellow haired female child and was lifting her off the ground. The female child had her legs splayed out in front of her, kicking, as she laughed. Her brother laughed in her ear. A brown haired female child stood behind the male child and had her arms wrapped around his neck, tugging him backwards. The third child, also a brown-haired female, was seated on her father's right foot with her arms and legs wrapped around his corresponding leg. She grinned up at him. Lady Dora was seated on a counter-top, and the Ambassador was leaning against her knees, kissing her mouth with his. Sarek blinked and averted his eyes, turning them back to his companion.

Lady Dora was staring at the holograph. She reached out and touched it with her forefinger. Sarek tilted his head. Lady Dora turned back to him, smiling once more. "Let's get you situated, honey."

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><p>"I apologize for our lack of cultural knowledge. This was a very impromptu appointing," Ambassador Grayson told Sarek as they sat in the Ambassador's home office. Lady Dora was seated on the Ambassador's desk, her legs crossed beneath her and a mug of a human beverage - coffee - pressed to her lips. Sarek tilted his head curiously, noting the PADDs with various Vulcan documents opened on them.<p>

"The late Ambassador Boccelli died 28 days ago."

"Yes, but they appointed me less than a week ago," Ambassador Grayson told him. Sarek inclined his head in acknowledgement. They were silent for a while, the Ambassador and his wife gazing at each other for a few moments, before Lady Dora turned to Sarek once more, a polite smile plastered to her face.

"We have been doing research for the past few days," she gestured to the PADDs. "Unfortunately, we have been able to learn very little about Vulcans. You are a very secretive species, huh?" She laughed lightly, and exchanged a grin with her husband across the room, where he fiddled with a strange, old-looking Terran contraption that emitted a scent similar to that coming from Lady Dora's mug. Sarek concluded that it created the 'coffee.'

"Why would Starfleet appoint someone with very little knowledge on Vulcan culture to the position of Ambassador to Vulcan?" Sarek questioned, tilting his head. The smile faltered on Lady Dora's face. Ambassador Grayson's hands froze against the 'coffee-maker.' He took a deep breath, plastered a polite smile onto his face, similar to his wife's (_Curious. Why do they find the need to smile when they obviously do not wish to?_), and reached for a jar of water.

"You are aware, of course, of the tragedy of the spaceshuttle _U.S.S. Doyle_, carrying the Terran ambassador to Vulcan earlier this month?"

"Of course." Lady Dora silently held out an empty glass, which her husband filled with water. She wordlessly offered it to Sarek. He inclined his head, but hesitated on reaching out for it. She blinked twice, and set it on the desk in front of him with a warm smile as her husband continued to talk.

"The position needed to be filled quickly for your arrival, and for the Federation meeting next week. I was formerly one of three Ambassadors to Romulan, so they thought I'd do," Ambassador Grayson explained.

Sarek raised an eyebrow. "Did the ambassador not have a secondary?" The Ambassador drew in a shaky breath, and Lady Dora excused herself from the room quickly. Sarek raised his other eyebrow. "I have upset you and your wife."

Ambassador Grayson pulled his lips into a tight smile. "It is...a sensitive subject."

Sarek acknowledged that with a brief dip of his head. "Yes. Humans are strongly emotionally attached to one another. I assume you feel empathy for the late ambassador due to the fact that you were in possession of similar careers."

Ambassador Grayson smiled again, less forced this time. "You are probably correct." Sarek inclined his head once more. "Derek, the ambassador's secondary, was - he was also - he was killed in the explosion as well."

"Unfortunate."

The Ambassador blinked, and an emotion Sarek couldn't detect flashed across his face. The Ambassador opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a high pitched squeal as a flash of blonde hair launched itself into the Ambassador's arms. Sarek stood quickly, unclasping his hands to prepare for self defense, but froze upon hearing the Ambassador chuckle deeply.

"Happy Lunchtime, Papa!" A tiny voice exclaimed, and an equally tiny child peppered the Ambassador's face with kisses. Sarek was flabbergasted - no, merely processing the scene properly in order to ascertain the correct decorum.

A young, brown-haired female adult followed the child into the room, reaching for the child. "Daddy, I'm so sorry," the woman gushed, looking over at Sarek worriedly. She untangled the girl from the Ambassador gently, placing the child on her hip and turning to smile apologetically at Sarek.

"My most sincere apologies, Ambassador Sarek!" Ambassador Grayson smiled, equally apologetically, but less worried than the woman. "I suppose I can't keep them locked away forever!" Sarek raised an eyebrow in concern, but the woman smiled fondly at the Ambassador. "This is my daughter Esther and my granddaughter, Katie."

Sarek raised his hand in the _ta'al_, and the woman nodded with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm so sorry about Katie! She _really _wanted to say hi to Dad on her way to lunch. She didn't see them this morning, and she was a tad worried."

The child squirmed in Esther's arms noisily, and squeaked happily when she was released with a request to behave. The Ambassador knelt next to Katie where she stood staring up at Sarek, who stared back with - of course - an eyebrow raised. "Katie, this is Ambassador Sarek, from Vulcan." Sarek raised his hand in the _ta'al_ once more, and Katie buried her face in the Ambassador's shoulder, tugging on his sleeve and mumbling into the fabric of his sleeve. The Ambassador lifted her into his arms and whispered back loudly, winking at Sarek: "Maybe you should ask him."

"But - you! Pleeease!" She whined back in an equally loud whisper. Esther crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight onto one foot as she smiled at the pair.

"You might be hurting his feelings by ignoring him." Sarek tilted his head to the side at this untrue claim.

"'Feelings' cannot be physically harmed, Ambassador," he told the Ambassador. "It is strange that you have been living under this perception. Perhaps we should discuss the education curriculum of Terran children." Three pairs of eyes stared at him as if he had said that Vulcans used Terran 'fairy tales' as textbooks for their young. He snickered internally.

Katie giggled, the laughter bubbling out of her mouth, similar to the wedding bells that would ring from churchs on Earth. Sarek frowned internally at this metaphor. It was illogical. A child's laughter could not sound like a large variation of a classical Terran instrument. Katie covered her mouth, writhing in the Ambassador's arms as she laughed. She grinned up at him, then stretched out her arms towards him, touching his face with her chubby, minuscule hands. Sarek froze in shock, tensing up immediately at the sudden ambush of emotions. _Happiness, curiosity,** love**, wonder, confusion,_ _**love**, __warmth, acceptance, **love**._

"You have funny ears," she informed him with a happy smile. The Ambassador finally reacted, taking two large steps backwards, pulling Katie with him. She frowned up at her grandfather, her look demanding an explanation and **now**.

"Ambassador Sarek is a Vulcan, baby. Vulcans don't like being touched," he explained gently, looking over at Sarek with wide eyes, as if he feared this would cause an intergalactic incident. That would be illogical, of course, but the Ambassador did not need to know that.

Katie's eyes widened comically. She turned back to Sarek. "Sar - Saek - Sek doesn't like hugs?" she asked him with a trembling voice.

He shook his head. "I have never received an embrace. Such actions of Human affection are...illogical." Katie stared at him for a long time.

"Why?" she asked, scrunching her face up in confusion. The Ambassador sighed.

"Aren't you hungry, baby?" he asked, handing Katie over to Esther.

"Yes! What's for lunch?" she asked, tugging on Esther's shirt.

Sarek tilted his head. "Your child has a short attention span. Perhaps you should test her for an attention disorder," he suggested helpfully.

Esther stared at him with a trembling lip, and the Ambassador let out a shaky sigh, running a hand through his already mussed-up hair. "She's not -" Esther started, but the Ambassador put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Esther grimaced, and left the room, engaging Katie in conversation with a deceptively light tone.

The Ambassador took a long sip of his coffee, wincing as it undoubtedly burned the nerve receptors on his tongue. "Katie is not Esther's daughter," he said finally, not looking Sarek in the eye. "Her mom died a few years back in childbirth. The baby didn't make it either. Katie lives with us because - 'cause - well, my son - Derek was - he was killed in the explosion with Tony."

Sarek blinked as he analyzed this information, and the Ambassador blinked back tears, coughing to dislodge the mucus that had gathered in his throat.

"Derek Grayson, the Secondary to Terran Ambassador Antonio Boccelli to Vulcan, was your son," Sarek felt the need to repeat this information.

"Uh huh." The Ambassador took another long sip of his 'coffee.'

The two men stood in silence for a long while. The Ambassador cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Well, let's go grab some lunch, why don't we?" He started for the door.

"Ambassador Grayson."

The Ambassador turned around, an eyebrow raise expectantly. Sarek approached him, standing .9 Terran yards in front of him.

"I grieve with thee."

The Ambassador stared at him for another long moment, before smiling and patting Sarek's upper forearm once with a nod, and stepped out of the room.

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><p><strong>Well? What'd ya'll think? I think I'll like this story. Vulcans are awesome. Just saying. Review? <strong>


	2. Swix and Vulcan Blood

**Whoa guys.**

**In the first 9 hours (7 of which I spent productively sleeping), ****_Sunrise_**** got 5 follows, 3 favs, and 3 reviews. Aw shucks guys. I like the Star Trek fandom ;)**

**So Amanda's finally home! Yay Amanda! We got some awkwardlyunsocial!Sarek, but don't worry, everyone wants to help make him at home! ...Okay, maybe worry a little. The Graysons remind me of the Kirks. (Was that subconsciously intentional on my part?!) Poor Sarek.**

**Anyway, if I don't update for a while, its because I'm also working on a Mystrade fic over there in the Sherlock fandom, and a fic about a teenage girl who has too much homework in a fandom no one belongs to called Real Life.**

**And on to the show! (Metaphorically, of course.)**

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><p>This midday meal the humans called 'lunch' was not something that Vulcans partook in, but the Humans must have developed it due to their increased need for nourishment and social interaction. The Grayson's exhibited the validity of this theory at their 'lunchtime' gathering.<p>

Sarek was introduced to the group as a whole, but only the Humans of great importance were introduced to him, for which he was grateful. There were many Humans in attendance, and he did not think it an efficient use of time to interact with all of them, and the Grayson's must have agreed. However, he was aware of the fragile self-esteem Humans possessed, and didn't not wish to offend his hosts or fellow guests, so he participated in polite social interaction when approached.

From what information he gathered through the illogical meal (the Humans talked more frequently than they brought food to their mouths), many of the Humans present were blood relatives. As Terran culture did not demand that familial structures live together, or even near one another, Sarek was perplexed as to their presence. An idea presented itself that perhaps they had come for the customary memorial service of the Ambassador's son, but he dismissed it immediately, as the ship had exploded 28.91 days ago.

He concluded that he would have to listen further to the table conversation in order to ascertain their reasons for invading the Grayson household.

"Auntie, do you have the eggs yet?" a woman in her mid-forties (called 'middle-aged' by Terrans) questioned Lady Dora. Before she could answer, however, another woman interrupted. She had been introduced to Sarek as Darcy, one of Lady Dora's three older sisters.

"No; I checked. Her fridge is dreadfully empty," Darcy said in an accusatory tone, frowning at Lady Dora, who merely laughed.

"Because you lot eat me out of house and home! I stocked up last week!"

"Well, we need eggs. And food. I'll make you a list," Lady Dora's oldest sister, Emily, said with finality.

"We do have a replicator, you know," the Ambassador reminded them. They all - including his wife - shot him a glare.

"It's not the same!" they all scolded in unison. Sarek raised an eyebrow, and the Ambassador looked his way, exasperation and fondness the two most prominent emotions on his face.

"Of course not. How stupid of me to suggest the most simple solution," the Ambassador said with humor, although his face did not betray that emotion.

"Anyways, I work all the way up 'till Saturday, so you guys will have to go out and get everything yourselves," Lady Dora told the women. "You could take some of the kids with you. Make it a field day. Give our poor Ambassador here a break from all the screaming." Lady Dora winked in Sarek's direction, and several pairs of female eyes turned to look him over curiously once more. He raised an eyebrow, and they all looked away quickly.

"I'll send Jamie!" Darcy announced.

"Well, I think Starfleet overworks you, honey!" the last of Lady Dora's sisters, Elizabeth, told Lady Dora.

"Jeremy, too," Darcy's husband, Will, added. "He's working on Easter!"

The Ambassador shrugged at that remark. "I'm sure Ambassador Sarek wouldn't mind taking the day off." All adult eyes found their way to Sarek. "What do you say, Ambassador? You can even join the fun if you want!"

Sarek raised an eyebrow. "What is this 'Easter' that you all have gathered for?"

A dozen voices rushed to explain that it was - from what Sarek could understand - a Terran holiday celebrating a traditional religious day in which their deity was killed, but resurrected. He found it highly illogical, considering that Terran medicine was primal during that era of Earth, but it was only logical to let the Terrans present (there seemed to be a mix of species at the table) carry out their religious duties.

Everyone exclaimed their thanks and wishes for him to join their celebrations, so he agreed, and they returned to their conversation. He felt a tugging at his robes, and looked down to find a small boy with dark brown hair.

"You don't know the Table Rules," the boy told him seriously. Sarek tilted his head.

"Perhaps you would enlighten me," he suggested. The boy grinned quickly before he schooled his features once more.

"Number one," the boy held up his pointer finger. "No listening." Sarek raised his eyebrow.

"If you do not listen, you will not hear the instructions of your elders, young one."

The boy shook his head vigorously, stopping to frown up at Sarek. "No! I _listen_!" He reached his small hands up toward Sarek's face, and Sarek fought the urge to jerk his head back, hoping that the boy would take his hands back. The boy froze with his arms outstretched, and a look of worry crossed his face. "Sorry!" he apologized, retracting his hands. His eyes widened and he slapped a hand over his mouth in an exaggerated form of upset commonly used by Human children. "Sorry!" he apologized again, looking particularly stricken. "Mummy says we ain't s'posed ta listen 'cause it ain't fair. Sorry. Forgive me?" The boy looked up at Sarek, pleadingly.

Sarek peered down at the peculiar child, and mentally headslapped himself when he saw the all-black irises. "You are a Betazoid."

The boy nodded vigorously (perhaps he has inherited the Ambassador's enthusiasm?) and looked up at him pleadingly once more. "Forgive me?"

"Your apology is noted and appreciated, young one." The boy relaxed visibly. "However, please refrain from..._listening_ to me unless I specifically give you permission to do so," Sarek told him firmly. The boy nodded, smiling, but frowned again.

"But sometimes I don' mean to!"

Sarek tilted his head. "What is your name, young one?"

The boy grinned. "Jarot Kal!" he told Sarek, proudly.

"What are the names of your parents?" Sarek questioned. Jarot Kal scrunched up his face.

"Um...um..."

Sarek raised both his eyebrows. "You do not know the names of your parents? How strange. How old are you?"

"Three. I know them, but I can't remember! Let me ask - hold on!" Jarot Kal scrunched up his face again, closing his eyes this time. He opened them a few seconds later. "Esther and Aovix!" he exclaimed proudly.

"Your telepathic ability is highly advanced for one so young, Jarot Kal."

"Thanks!"

"'Thanks' are illogical. You should see a Healer to assess your mental health."

"Huh?"

The doorbell rang. A baby started crying. Jarot Kal scrunched up his face once more before opening it, joy covering his face completely. "Uncle Dylan and Auntie Eabr are here!" he announced, running to the door, followed quickly by many other little feet.

Sarek frowned. Running to the door was illogical. The small children might trip over one another.

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><p>The following two days were just as "emotional," if not more so. Ambassador Grayson and Lady Dora gave their relatives strict instructions to leave Sarek alone, and the adults followed this rule. The children - Human or not - however, followed him around the house, hiding behind chairs, doors, and (as with the particularly young children) behind their hands - a poor attempt at subterfuge. Sarek attempted to instruct them on more effective methods, but the children either laughed or ran away with red faces. So he accepted them as a part of his life for the next 2.714 weeks on Earth.<p>

He met with the Ambassador multiple times, and soon realized why he seemed so untrained on the subject of Vulcan culture. He had 3679 words from the former Ambassador's notes, but the rest had been lost in the communications system, and was unrecoverable. The words he did have were of little use.

Sarek was currently attempting to assist the Ambassador in "filling in the blanks" as to the Vulcan/Earth communications and policies. They worked often and "tirelessly," as neither of them had any engagements on Earth currently.

They were only interrupted for meals. It seemed that even the children were aware of the clear boundary between the Ambassador's office and the rest of the house. They did not even walk into that hall, preferring to walk the adjacent hall to the kitchen if need be. Sarek did not understand, but Humans often had confusing traditions.

When Sarek had explained the Vulcan tradition of the guest preparing breakfast for his hosts during his stay, Lady Dora had laughed. "Thank you, sweetie, but there are - let me count..." and she had proceeded to count out the number of guests in the house, "including me and Jeremy, and you, and everyone else that isn't here yet," which she concluded numbered 31. Sarek agreed that this was, indeed, "a helluva lotta people!", but had insisted convincingly.

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><p>Early in the third morning of his stay - the morning he was told was Easter - he was frying 'bacon.' It was the meat of a Terran farm animal called "pig," cut into thin rectangular shapes, and it smelled foul. He turned the stove top off (Lady Dora had instructed him as to the uses of the various kitchen appliances, and Jamie - Darcy's son - and his husband Gale had acquired the typical Terran breakfast items for Sarek), and moved to the sink to wash the <em>swix<em>, a berry imported from Betazed.

As he searched for a suitable knife, his sensitive ears acquired the sound of wet smacking. After pondering the sound for 3.97 seconds, he decided that it would only be logical to let the sound be, as he was merely a guest, and wandering the halls in search of a noise was hardly proper. As he sliced the _swix_ into one Terran inch cubes, he found himself increasingly distracted by the noise. 4.98 Terran seconds after determining that his focus was not entirely on the task he was in the midst of completing, his hand slipped, and the knife cut into the skin before the first knuckle of his 'pointer finger' - to use Terran vernacular - of his left hand. He let himself be overwhelmed by the pain for 5.23 Terran seconds as he learned to accommodate it into his internal drive. Convinced that it would not debilitate him should he attempt to walk to the 'bathroom,' he opened his eyes and attempted to do just that. He noticed a pool of green blood on the cutting board with the _swix_, and fought the urge to clean it, as it would be illogical to attempt to clean a mess he was currently still exuding.

The moment he exited the kitchen, however, he found the source of the loud noise. Darcy's son, Jamie (note for further reference: acquiring the titles of the Humans was to be a priority, as it was only proper and logical) was being pressed against the wall of the hallway by Gale, who was pressing his torso against Jamie's.

Sarek was inclined to look away from the show of intimacy, but his scientific curiosity 'got the best of him,' and he was fascinated (Sarek pushed down the disgust) by what actions their mouths were taking. Their lips seemed to be...sucking each others? That was not the correct description. It seemed that they were attempting to eat the other's lips with only their lips. It was highly illogical, and was also confusing.

Sarek realized he was staring - though scientifically - at an act of intimacy between two Humans, and though he was not embarrassed - because embarrassment was illogical - he did not wish to disturb them or make his presence known, so he turned back to the kitchen. He was so distracted that he did not notice that the refrigeration unit was open. He found a piece of cloth commonly used for drying household dishes and pressed it against the cut on his hand, trying to ignore the rough feel of the cloth on both of his hands. He leaned his sacrum against the edge of the counter, closing his eyes and relishing the feel of the tension slipping from his body in the privacy of an empty kitchen.

Then he heard loud gulping. He opened his eyes to find a Human - or humanoid - swallowing copious amounts of juice made from an orange - an acidic Terran fruit - from the carton it was bought in, while leaning into the refrigeration unit. He internally cataloged the distinctive features: long hair (a color the Terran's called 'blonde'), narrow waist, basin shaped pelvis, and the nails of the toes were painted a bright red. He concluded that this was a female humanoid.

She made an appreciative noise and shifted her weight to look at the _swix_. She tilted her head and her hand darted out to bring a handful of the _swix_ to her mouth. She chewed loudly, and then looked down at her fingers, Sarek's blood glinting as the sunlight from the open window hit it. She brought it to her mouth. "That is unsanitary," Sarek felt compelled to tell her. The open carton she was still holding dropped to the floor and the juice splattered out, coloring the white tiles orange. The female, in the same instant, had grabbed the very same knife he had been slicing the _swix _with and spun around, holding it out at him aggressively, fear and violence both showing in her face and stance. Sarek raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. He was not threatened by her.

He noticed the blue of her irises and concluded that she was a Human. She blinked a few times and then visibly relaxed, lowering the knife and laughing breathlessly. "Well, you're not here to sell me on the Orion slave market."

Sarek raised an eyebrow again. She had spoken in flawless High Vulcan. "Indeed," he replied in the same.

She leaned her sacrum against the countertop and crossed her arms over her chest in a mock imitation of his stance and looked him up and down, assessing him as a threat. Her hand darted up to her mouth and she giggled. "Is - is that Auntie Em's apron?"

He tilted his head. "Indeed. I was told that it is traditional to wear one whilst cooking. It is a most logical article of clothing, in that one will not have to use two different pairs of robes in one day."

The woman was still laughing. "But - it has flowers on it, honey." Sarek wondered why the Human women insisted on calling him 'honey,' or 'sweetie.' He was neither of these common forms of 'sweetener' in Terran tea or coffee.

He settled for "Indeed." The woman continued to laugh. He found her high spirits to be contradictory to her initial reaction to his presence. "Is there a significance to the flowers on the apron?"

"You are a male, yes?" She asked. He inclined his head. She shook hers, and slowly stopped laughing. "_Def tor heh smusma,_" she greeted, smiling, and presented the _ta'al_. "I'm Amanda Grayson."

He presented the _ta'al_ back. "_Def tor heh smusma_, Miss Grayson. I am Sarek. You are the daughter of Ambassador Grayson and Lady Dora, are you not?"

She nodded. "Uh huh." Her eyes wandered to the cloth around his hand, and widened. "Oh, baby, you're bleeding!" Her hands darted out and reached for his quickly, her left hand on his wrist, and the right on his finger tips, effectively tucking herself in between his arm and body, her back to his front. She pulled his hand toward her stomach. The combination of overwhelming pain and overwhelming pleasure, as well as the influx of her emotions, became too much, and Sarek felt his eyes glaze over as he stared at her hair.

To keep up the semblance of his mental togetherness, he continued the conversation. "Indeed. You ingested my blood." Miss Grayson frowned at him over her shoulder, and then he heard her laugh, but his eyes could not focus. She said something he couldn't understand and then the fingers released his own. The sensation of pleasure left him, but the pain and her emotions remained as she tugged him to the exit of the kitchen. Her free hand touched his covered arm. "That must hurt - all those nerve clusters. Let's get you cleaned up."

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><p><strong>Hehe. Well? What'd you guys think? Did you like Jarot Kal? What about Amanda? Leave me a review, yo! <strong>


	3. Vulcans Are Not Yummy

**Gah! I'm so sorry about the super late update, dearies! I could give you a huge list of excuses about why I haven't been writing, but I'll just say this: I've been sick for a _long time_, and just didn't feel like writing.**

**Here's to hoping my immune system gets some muscles. Or a brick wall.**

**Also, I totally love Sarek. I just wanna cuddle him! Is that weird? #writerproblems**

**This chapter is kind of short, but it didn't seem like that when I was writing it! And also, I'm tired but I want to give you something so HERE:**

* * *

><p>It didn't even occurred to him to warn her about the Humans who were...being intimate? (Note: inquire as to the correct terminology of the act) in the hallway. She stopped, her hand still holding his wrist, and giggled. "Oi! Get a room, would ya? There are kids out here!" The sound came from Amanda Grayson, but it was Lady Dora's voice.<p>

Jamie and Gale sprung away from each other and looked up with worry, but their faces instantly grew more joyful upon seeing Miss Grayson.

"Mandi!" "Honey!" the two shouted simultaneously, and Miss Grayson dropped Sarek's hand. She ran to Jamie (whom Sarek had determined was her 'cousin') and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"Oh, I missed you guys so much," she whispered, but Sarek's superior ears could hear her.

"Missed you too, kiddo," Jamie whispered back. Miss Grayson released him and turned to wrap her arms around Gale's neck, even though he had to bend down to accommodate her.

She pulled back slightly and put her hand on Gale's check. "Geez, you just get yummier every time I see you!" Gale laughed and kissed her cheek. Sarek blinked, wondering if his information that Humans were not canibalistic was incorrect. Jamie cleared his throat.

"I see you've met Ambassador Sarek," he said, nodding in Sarek's direction. Miss Grayson released Gale and ran back towards Sarek. "Yes! Poor baby is bleeding and I was looking for the -" She froze, holding Sarek's wrist, and turned to him. "_Ambassador_? You didn't mention that! Aren't you a little young?"

Sarek raised an eyebrow. "I am 30 Terran years old. What do you classify as young?"

"30?" repeated Gale.

"Seriously?" Jamie questioned.

"You age better than _Gale_!" Miss Grayson exclaimed. Sarek just blinked. Miss Grayson seemed to remember that he was bleeding, and the concern appeared on her face again. "Oh, come here, baby. I'll get you patched up." She tugged on his wrist more insistently.

"Why do you continue to call me 'baby' when I have just proved that I am an adult?" he asked. Laughter from Jamie and Gale echoed down the hall, and Miss Grayson turned back to him with an amused smile, but did not answer.

"Oi!" Jamie shouted as Miss Grayson pushed Sarek into a room. "No playing 'wandering hands' with our Vulcan!"

Miss Grayson peeked her head back out into the hall. "Oh, shut up!" Sarek looked around and came to the conclusion that they were in a small 'bathroom,' whose existence he was not previously aware of. Miss Grayson had shut the door and was now opening the cabinets enthusiastically. She pulled out a red box labeled "First Aid" and smiled at him happily.

"What is this game 'wandering hands' that we are not allowed to play?" Sarek asked. "Vulcans do not play games," he felt compelled to add in order to avoid confusion. Miss Grayson smiled at him again.

"I - I don't know how to explain it. It's a sex thing." She soaked a cotton swab with alcohol. "You allergic?" she asked, holding the bottle up. He shook his head. "You - your hands are really sensitive, right? Then this is going to hurt. _Really bad_. I suggest you sit down."

Sarek frowned, but sat cross-legged on the floor. Miss Grayson sat opposite him and pulled his hand into her lap. She threaded her fingers in between his -between their first and second knuckles - her thumb stroking his forefinger absently as she soaked the cotton swab once more with her other hand. Sarek opened his mouth to ask her to stop, but she turned to him pityingly and pressed the cotton swab against his wound. Darkness crept into his vision and he hurriedly pushed himself into a trance.

* * *

><p>He surged into consciousness with a gasp, sitting up rigidly and finding himself staring at a foreign wall. Ah, yes. The 'bathroom.' He heard humming and the sound of water to his left, and turned to find Miss Grayson seated on the countertop, her feet in the sink. She smiled at him through the mirror.<p>

"Look who's finally up! How was your nap?"

Sarek frowned. "I was not 'napping.' I was merely in a trance to disengage from -"

"I'm just teasing you, honey. You were only out for like 10 minutes -"

"12.4 Terran minutes," he corrected, rising to his feet and turning to face her. She turned the water off and wrapped a towel around her feet. He caught sight of lesions on the soles of her feet, and filed the information away for later use.

"Yes, alright. 12.4 minutes," she grinned. The pain was gone from his hand. He looked down to find the skin completely healed. "I used the handy-dandy dermal regenerator while you napped," she explained.

Sarek frowned. "I assume you are 'teasing' me once more." She smiled and nodded. He recalled a question he had earlier, and took the opportunity. "May I ask you a question?"

"Uh huh!" she slid down from the sink and opened the door, beckoning for him to follow.

There was no one in the hallway. "Are humans cannibalistic?"

She laughed, sudden and loud, turning back to him with wide eyes. "Of course not! Have you been reading pirate stories?"

He frowned. "I do not know what those are."

"Well, they are about pirates...Nevermind. Why do you ask?"

"You called Gale 'yummy' in your earlier conversation," he told her. "That is a most commonly used descriptor of food."

"Oh! Oh, no! No! It just means - well, it means hot, I guess," she tried to explain.

"'Yummy' and 'hot' are two very different descriptors," he reminded her. She frowned.

"Yes. Alright. Um, they both mean, in human vernacular, that he has sex appeal." Sarek frowned. "That he is sexually attractive," she amended quickly. "Didn't you notice?"

Sarek tilted his head. "I am not sexually attracted to males." Miss Grayson blushed. Curious.

Then she grinned. "Neither was Jamie." Sarek raised an eyebrow. Even more curious. "Come on, we got half an hour before people start waking up; we gotta get breakfast ready!" She was so enthusiastic that he did not have the urge to tell her about the Vulcan tradition. He would welcome her conversation regardless.

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><p>She was showing him how to 'boil eggs' for the celebration when they heard loud whispers and shrieks in a different language coming down the hallway toward the kitchen. Miss Grayson smiled down at the eggs, seeming to understand the words.<p>

A female Orion rushed into the room and wrapped her arms around Miss Grayson from behind, and Sarek straightened.

"Aynna!" the Orion shrieked, and another entered the room, laughing. "_Goajnla_! _Goajnla_! I have missed her much! You are _jmiud_!" Miss Grayson laughed and the two swayed back and forth.

"Well, I wouldn't say a _jmiud_, but I am pretty awesome, huh, Ninyv?" She asked the second Orion, who laughed.

"_Jmiud_," she said firmly. Miss Grayson laughed again, before turning around to Sarek.

"Ambassador, have you met Eabr?" she queried, gesturing to the first Orion, and Sarek recognized her as the wife of one of the many cousins._  
><em>

"Yes." Eabr nodded the affirmative.

"Ambassador, this is my _seab_ -" Eabr started.

"Sister," Miss Grayson cut in helpfully.

"Sister," Eabr nodded and gestured to the second Orion. "Ninyv. This is Ambassador Sarek, of Vulcan."

"_Beχ_," Ninyv smiled, winking at Miss Grayson and Eabr. Miss Grayson smiled and looked down, while Eabr nodded enthusiastically. "Aynna?"

"_Beχ_," Miss Grayson repeated. Sarek decided that 'Aynna' must be her name in Orion, or perhaps a 'nickname.' Ninyv smiled triumphantly.

"Greetings," she said, smiling widely before wrapping her arms around her sister and kissing her cheek. Sarek held up the _ta'al_.

"Set the table?" Miss Grayson suggested to the Orions, and they nodded enthusiastically and began opening cabinets. Sarek poured the hot water from the pan of chicken eggs.

"Vulcan?" Ninyv asked.

"Vulcan," Eabr affirmed. Miss Grayson looked at Sarek pityingly. He frowned.

"A little green birdy told me a certain fancy-pants teacher was home? Where, oh where, could she be?" a male voice called out, and Eabr's husband, Dylan, entered the room, looking side to side dramatically.

"Certainly not near the food!" Eabr laughed. Dylan grinned at Miss Grayson and hugged her tightly.

"Hey, Mandi."

"Hey, buddy." He kissed her cheek.

"_ʃulb_," Ninyv said.

"_Oni_," Eabr replied, tossing her a stack of ceramic plates. Sarek frowned.

"_Seuθ_."

Eabr nodded. "_Mliejn_," she added.

"Who are they talking about?" Dylan asked Miss Grayson, adding drops of color to bowls of hot water, which Miss Grayson had set out.

"The Ambassador," Miss Grayson blushed. Dylan raised his eyebrows, and Sarek imitated the expression.

"Do you understand Orion?" he asked. Sarek shook his head. Dylan and Miss Grayson exchanged glances.

"_F__aŋ_," Eabr told her sister, and both Dylan and Miss Grayson laughed.

"You know, I'd be worried if I was married to anyone other than an Orion," Dylan told his wife with a smile. Eabr 'winked' at him.

"The children are like this everyday there. It's so funny," Miss Grayon giggled. Sarek frowned. _The Terran children? That is unusual.__  
><em>

He noticed Ninyv staring at him then. "_Ibe_," she said with finality, all three of the Orion-speaking Terrans gasped. Miss Grayson and Dylan turned red.

"Ninyv!" They all shouted, though not at the same time.

Ninyv tilted her head in question.

"You can't tell," Eabr chided.

"Not the point!" Dylan interjected.

"You can't talk like that on Terran!" Miss Grayson scolded.

"Exactly!" Dylan shouted, gesturing with his arms.

"_Can_?" Ninyv asked.

"Be - because! You just can't!" Dylan stammered.

"Betazoid children," Eabr told her sister. Ninyv nodded.

"_Ituln_," she told them. Dylan rubbed his eyes with a sigh. Sarek tilted his head, and decided that it would not induce a diplomatic incident if he asked.

"What have you been saying regarding me?" he asked.

"We've been listing off your attractive qualities," Eabr informed him with a smile. Sarek blinked.

"Indeed?"

"You are..._mlotla_? _Beχ_?" Ninyv turned to her sister with a raised eyebrow._**  
><strong>_

"Attractive," Miss Grayson and Dylan supplied simultaneously. Miss Grayson caught Sarek's glance and started laughing. Sarek remembered their earlier conversation.

"I hope I am not 'yummy' as well. That remains an unpleasant descriptor," Sarek told the group, and Miss Grayson laughed harder, clutching her abdomen. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction, and attributed it to his increased mastery of the Terran language.

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><p><strong>Glossery anyone? Hehe:<strong>

_**goajnla -**_** thanks**

_**jmiud **_**- queen**

_**seab**_** - sister**

_**beχ **_**- beautiful**

_**ʃulb - **_**ears**

**_oni_ - muscle  
><strong>

_**seuθ - **_**lips**

_**mliejn -**_** eyes**

_**faŋ **_**- buttocks**

_**ibe**_** - penis **

_**can **_**- why? (For what reason?)**

_**ituln -**_** regrets**

_**mlotla ****- **_**to attract**

**Leave me a review cuz I had to do RESEARCH? (Cue the gasps!)**


	4. Clothing Not Optional

_First off, thank you so much to "Guest" for letting me know that Chapter Three was in Chapter Two's spot! I'm pretty sure that was me, late at night as I was fixing stuff, but geez that must have been confusing! I know I recently got some new followers around that time, so I would recommend you all look back to chapter two and make sure that you read that! It's not terribly important, but chapter three is pretty confusing without it. That being said, thanks for following even though it made little sense! _

_Secondly, thank you all for reviewing and letting me know what you thought of Amanda and the Orions! I know people always say this, but I really do take your opinions into consideration. I want my characters to be accessible. If there is something inherently wrong/unrealistic about their personalities, please let me know. :)_

_Special thanks to urelia23 and guest for messaging me and reminding me that maybe writing the next chapter would be good! (Feel free to do that if its been a week or so. I'm a tad bit scatterbrained)_

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><p>Easter was, apparently, a very big deal. There were a large number of children there, and the offspring of the Shelley daughters (Lady Dora's maiden name, Sarek found out) had all been tasked with assisting in the decoration of the chicken eggs, whilst the Shelley's and their spouses drank coffee on the kitchen balcony. Sarek elected to watch in the doorway conjunct to the living room, after being assured that, while 'creepy,' the action would not result in an incident.<p>

He first collected data, from both his memory and the sight in front of him. There were four Shelley daughters: Emily, Darcy, Elizabeth, Dora. Emily's husband was deceased, but the other spouses were, respectively: William, Pablo, Jeremy.

Emily had two children with her: Ty and Renee. Both were in their early 20s, and seemed to enjoy hanging their tongues from their mouths in the direction of the other, and laughing afterwards. Curious.

Darcy had two children with her: John and Jamie, who looked quite similar physically - they both possessed blonde hair and blue eyes. They did not interact at all. John and his wife Stacy, sat at the table with cups of the coffee in front of them, watching their two children dye their fingers various colors. They did not look pleased.

Elizabeth had three children with her: Dylan - whom was married to Eabr -, Ena, and Ruby. Neither Ena nor Ruby was in their twenties as of yet, but Sarek knew that Dylan was 25 Terran years of age - he had told Miss Grayson so in the kitchen earlier that day. Derek and Eabr had a daughter, Seeta, who did not participate in the chicken egg decorating because she lacked the mental development to grasp what the act consisted of yet. Everyone in Elizabeth's family had black hair.

Lady Dora had four children, Sarek knew this, but three with her (Attache Derek Grayson had died): Doris, Esther, and Amanda. They all appeared fluent in foreign languages - he had overheard them conversing in several different ones during the morning meal. Between the four siblings, they had six children - only Amanda Grayson had yet to reproduce.

Sarek resolved that the only way to avoid confusion in the area of names was to simply refer to them by their given names.

The chicken egg dying was a large undertaking. Loud, grating music was played for about 4.53 minutes until Ambassador Grayson shouted in the direction of the kitchen, and it was replaced by what is termed 'classical' music with dramatically illegible singing. The adults seemed to be having as much fun as the children, much to Sarek's surprise. The act was strange and pointless. Perhaps it was to encourage bonding between family members? That seemed a likely explanation.

A baby started crying at the same time that young Jarot Kal screamed, loudly, "DADDY!" and ran out of the kitchen. Miss Esther picked up her crying daughter and left the kitchen after him.

"Oh, no! Cover your eyes!" young Ena warned, slapping her hand over her eyes, but the others merely laughed. Sarek raised an eyebrow at their dismissal of her warning, and closed his eyes.

"He is ugly?" Ninyv questioned.

"Oh! She doesn't know the story!" Eabr exclaimed, sounding very upset.

"Ena, now look what you've done," Dori's voice chided. "Ambassador, dear, you can open your eyes. Ena was just joking around." Sarek opened his eyes and looked around. Nothing seemed amiss, but the Terrans were frowning at him.

"Vulcans do not joke," he informed them, and they frowned harder.

Ruby, the daughter of Elizabeth, snorted. "Sounds like a boring planet."

"Vulcans do not experience boredom." (he had searched the term after retiring to his room on the first night)

"Case in point," Ruby grinned, earning a few laughs. Sarek was confused, but the attention had turned back to Ninyv.

"We have to tell her the story," Renee insisted. She looked quite excited.

Many people offered to tell The Story, but it was eventually decided upon that Dylan would tell the story.

Eabr grabbed Sarek's arm and pulled him further into the kitchen. Katie waved a blue-dyed hand in his direction from her spot on Amanda's hip.

"Okay, so it was like this. Esther and Aovix fell in love, right?" Dylan started.

"And he creeped the hell out of us the first time we met him!" Dori chimed in.

"Aw, come on. The guy wasn't _that_ bad," Ty insisted. He had a strange accent. Terran, yes. He called to mind the 'western' movies he had watched when first learning Terran culture.

"That's because we had already told him _numerous_ times that reading people's minds was _not_ socially acceptable!" Amanda laughed.

"Oh my gosh, remember that time - when we first met him - and he read Dad's mind and we all freaked out?" Dori asked her sister enthusiastically. Amanda screeched.

"Yes! Yes! Oh my gosh! That was terrible!"

"What? What happened?" Ruby asked, leaning forward on the counter, seeming not to notice that her forearms were now on spilled dye. Amanda and Dori exchanged looks.

"Mandi tells it better," Dori declared.

"I do," Amanda agreed. "Okay, so it was the day before Esther's birthday, and none of us were off-planet, so we were all sitting in the living room talking with him. This was the second time we had met Aovix, and Esther didn't tell us he was coming over. De - Derek and I had just come back from our run - um - Dori was still in her pajamas! It was awkward, to say the least. And, plus, he's...an acquired taste, if you know what I mean. So Esther and Mom were doing most of the talking, when suddenly - out of the blue! - A.K. just says to dad, 'I'm really sorry that my visit has interrupted your coitus. I thought Esther had asked your permission before inviting me over.' And Mom and Dad just go _red_!"

"Derek spit out his lemonade," Dori cut in with a grin that deflated around the edges after a few moments.

"And we started laughing," Amanda replied, bumping her sister's shoulder with her own.

"I think you were crying at some point!" The women giggled.

"What about Esther?" Renee asked.

Dori giggled again. "She was so embarrassed that she stormed from the house. A.K. was so confused."

"A.K.?" Eabr asked.

"Oh, that's just what we call him. Aovix is annoying to say repeatedly," Amanda explained.

"I don't understand the 'cover your eyes' joke," Ninyv cut in with a deep frown.

"Mm! Right!" Dylan said, standing up straighter. "So, it's like this: We all got the invitation, yeah? And everyone was - well, we were very happy for them. The invitation said that we didn't need to come in anything fancy, because traditional/ceremonial clothes would be provided, and we were all like, 'Cool.' So we get there and - she didn't even tell you guys, did she?" He directed the question to Amanda and Dori. They laughed and shook their heads. "Yeah, Esther didn't even tell her sisters. We all get there, and there isn't any traditional garb. The minister - a Betazoid guy - asks us all to take off our clothes. To Betazoid's, a marriage is a ceremony of love, or something, and apparently that means we don't need clothes. So here we are, on a beach, being asked to strip buck-naked in front of our siblings, aunts, uncles, grandmamas, friends...No one was happy."

Everyone in the kitchen laughed enthusiastically.

"That was the most embarrassing and hilarious moment of my life," Ruby said.

"Renee was crying," Jamie remembered.

"Was not!" Renee protested.

"I still can't believe Esther agreed to that in the first place," Jamie's wife, Stacy, said in a tone that indicated her disapproval.

"A.K. has always been very generous in making changes to fit our culture," Amanda told her, in a quiet, firm voice. "I think that was the only thing he ever asked her to change. It would have been inconsiderate for her to say 'no.' Marriage is based on compromise."

Sarek raised an eyebrow. _Curious reasoning._

"Mandi, the philosopher," Ty said with a smile. Amanda grinned back at him.

"Look who's suddenly an expert on marriage," Stacy shot back. Eabr gasped, and wrapped an arm around Amanda's shoulders, although Amanda did not look upset by the comment.

"Stacy!" John admonished.

"Uncalled for!" Dylan frowned.

Footsteps and laughter approached, and a tall man walked into the kitchen. He was carrying Jarot on his hip, and holding Esther's hand. Sarek reasoned that this was Aovix. This was proven correct when Katie wriggled from Amanda's grasp and shouted, "A.K!" whilst running to him. He picked her up with the hand that had been entwined with Esther's hand.

"Hello, kiddo," he said, and kissed her cheek. Everyone else in the room expressed their 'welcome' and their happiness to see him. He smiled, but looked around the crowd with a concerned expression. Dori moved forward and hugged him tightly once he had put the children down.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed. "You go away for too long!"

Aovix chuckled, low and deep in his throat. "I am sorry." He released Dori and held his arms out. "Amanda." She smiled and hugged him tightly. "I am sorry for your pain," he whispered into her ear, and Sarek was certain no one else heard.

Amanda sniffed, and then laughed, stepping away. "If I missed you this much, I can't even imagine how poor Esther must feel!"

Esther smiled at her sister, and Aovix slipped his fingers between hers once more.

His eyes met Sarek's and he smiled politely. "I don't think we've met before. I'm Aovix."

"Sarek." He held up the _ta'al, _and Aovix returned it.

"Ambassador Sarek is working with Jeremy on some conference project. He's staying for a few weeks," Jamie told Aovix, and Sarek fought the urge to correct his approximation.

"Well, it is nice to meet you," Aovix told Sarek with a smile. Sarek inclined his head.

"A.K.! How are you?" Jeremy exclaimed upon exiting the balcony. "Still have your clothes on, I see."

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><p><em>Alrighty. Leave me a review, and PM me every once in a while to get my butt moving on this, yes?<em>


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